52/ Underage

2011
By Ohm Phanphiroj
Duration: 7:07 min.
Recommended by Brian Curtin

How does this work investigate “hope?”
”Underage represents the terrible situation of teenage male prostitutes in Bangkok, ones who trade on the street. Shot at night as a documentary, Phanphiroj interviews individuals about their past, current experiences and dreams for the future. The responses are heartbreaking and lush cinematography heightens this impact by contrasting with the accounts of abject lives. Hope emerges in the boys' belief that their circumstances are temporarily expedient and they can ultimately be something else-but the film essentially presents ‘hope’ as the only refuge in the face of seemingly impossible change.” —Brian Curtin

About the work:
”Underage is a documentary film about underage male prostitutes in Thailand, as part of a larger project that includes photography. The project was created to raise awareness about the sexual exploitation of minors and rotten social and justice systems in Thailand that not only fail to protect children, but also tacitly promotes the sex industry by looking elsewhere.

The project aims at understanding the minds of these young men in a most candid and visceral way. I want the process to uncover a bit of the life, choices, and experiences that they face. But Underage is multi-layered and complex in its nature. Psychologically, the project offers provocative and haunting portraits of these lost souls. It represents an ugly mess and deep-rooted problems of family and teenage lives in Thailand. The personal data of each subject is included to offer a peep into their lives and journey to the opposite side of norms, tradition, and perception.” —Ohm Phanphiroj